The Top 50 featherweights ever (16-20)

Much delayed, due to the Olympics, but here at last, the latest section of our featherweight list brings in some big names, including the man many believe is the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world today and an all-time great. Comments and suggestions always gratefully received.

16. Battling Battalino
A hard, rugged fighter whose record of 56-27-3, defies his abilities. The Italian-American (his real name was Christopher) won the world featherweight title from Andre Routis in 1929, aged 21, having beaten 'Panama' Al Brown, the bantamweight champion in his previous bout. He beat the likes of Fidel LaBarba, Kid Chocolate, Bud Taylor, Ignacio Fernandez and even Freddie Miller. Rather ruined his reputation when he appeared to throw a rematch with Miller at a time when he was struggling to make the weight.

17. Alexis Arguello
Tall, elegant and a big puncher, Arguello put Nicaragua on the map for many of us. He is best remembered for his exploits at super-featherweight, lightweight and his classic matches with Aaron Pryor at light-welterweight, but Arguello bashed his way into the public consciousness by winning the WBA featherweight title win a knockout of Ruben Olivares, having failed in his first world title shot aged 21. He defended the title four times, stopping all opponents in quick time before weight pressures saw him move to higher divisions.

18. Danny Lopez
"Little Red" was an exciting, popular featherweight from Los Angeles, who began his pro career with a 21-fight knockout streak. After suffering losses to Bobby Chacon, Shig Fukuyama and Octavio Gomez, wins over Sean O'Grady and Ruben Olivares set up a title shot against David Kotei in front of an estimated crowd of 100,000 in Accra, Ghana. Lopez floored Kotei on the way to winning a 15-round decision. He defended the title eight times - including a memorable war against Mike Ayala - before bumping in to an all-time great in Salvador Sanchez.

19. Manny Pacquiao
Perhaps the No 1 pound-for-pound boxer of today, Pacquiao's place on this list is largely down to his 2003 upset win over Marco Antonio Barrera. By that time, Pacquiao was a two-weight champion, having won the WBC flyweight title and the IBF super-bantamweight title. But it was in Texas against Barrera that he gave the world a true idea of his talents gibing Barrera - who was possible under-prepared and in the middle of a controversy after some minor brain surgery - a thorough beating. He then stepped up to featherweight where he was lucky to get a draw against Juan Manuel Marquez, despite flooring the Mexican three times in the first, and stuffed Fahsan 3K Battery, before moving up in weight again for his greatest days.

20. Davey Moore
Has become a celebrated tragic figure in the sport after he died following the bout at Dodger Stadium in 1963 in which he lost the world featherweight title to Sugar Ramos. But Moore was a long-reigning quality fighter who boxed around the globe. He won the title from Hogan 'Kid' Bassey in 1959 and retained it in Tokyo (twice), in Finland and boxed in Italy, France, Mexico and London, where he stopped Bobby Neill in a round at the Empire Pool, Wembley, flooring Neill four times.

Comments

[Ron Lewis]

But this is the featherweight list, just performances as a featherweight or super-bantam

[Jun Dayon]

You might have to update your list. After the dela Hoya demolition last December 7, HBO commentators including Hall of Fame-bound Larry Merchant, tagged Manny as the 'Henry Armstrong' of this generation. Isn't he 4th in your list?